Tag: OT

5-Star 2023 OT Samson Okunlola includes Alabama in loaded top-9

A small win for the Crimson Tide on the recruiting trail when 5-Star 2023 OT included Alabama in his top-9!

Alabama Football’s dominance on the field begins on the recruiting trail. Nick Saban’s efforts to bring in some of the nation’s top prospects begins years before players get to the collegiate level.

Recently, Alabama earned a minor win that could eventually become significant.

Five-star offensive tackle, Samson Okunlola, out of Massachusetts narrowed down his list of prospects landing spots to nine. The Crimson Tide made the list.

Currently, there’s no indication that Okunlola is leaning toward one specific program.

Samson Okunlola’s Film

Roll Tide Wire continues his recruiting profile breakdown below.

7 dynamic players the Eagles should consider trading up for in 1st-round of NFL draft

With assets to use, here are 7 difference-makers the #Philadelphia #Eagles should consider trading up for in 1st-round of the #NFLDraft2022

The NFL’s scouting combine is just days away and as all 32 teams around the league start to ramp up their draft evaluations, we’ll take a look at players the Eagles could potentially trade up for.

Philadelphia has three first-round picks in April’s draft and several pressing needs at edge rusher, cornerback, and safety.

Depending on how the first six or seven picks of the draft develop, the Eagles could see a scenario where the organization is able to package some picks and trade up with hopes of acquiring the player Howie Roseman covets.

We’ve highlighted seven difference makers that fit that scenario.

10 offensive line prospects for the Eagles to watch at the 2022 Senior Bowl

2022 #SeniorBowl: 10 offensive line prospects for the #Eagles to watch #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE

The 2022 NFL draft is fast approaching and with Philadelphia owning three first-round picks, Howie Roseman needing to hit on all three first-round picks, we’re getting an early start on evaluating the top prospects.

The draft actually starts in Mobile, Alabama, where the start of senior bowl practices will kick off on Tuesday, February 1.

We’re profiling the position groups for both senior bowl teams, while also breaking down several players at each group for Philadelphia to watch.

The next group to watch will be the senior bowl offensive linemen.

Where do Jameson Williams, Evan Neal land in Mel Kiper’s first 2022 mock draft?

Where are these two Alabama stars expected to begin their NFL careers?

The 2021 College Football season has concluded, which means it’s NFL draft season.

Numerous Alabama players are expected to be drafted, but only two are projected to be off the board after the first round. While most programs would love to have more than one first-round players in the same draft class, it’s actually a slow year for the Crimson Tide.

Long-time ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper released his first 2022 NFL Mock Draft, and he has both Evan Neal and Jameson Williams being drafted on the first night of the draft.

Kiper has the big, athletic offensive tackle, Neal, being drafted No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans.

As for Williams, Kiper admits that the wide receiver would have been drafted much earlier had it not been for the torn ACL he suffered in the national championship game against Georgia. His projection for Williams is No. 21 overall to the New England Patriots.

“Williams, an Ohio State transfer with blazing speed, had a fantastic season for the Crimson Tide, catching 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. He would likely be in the top-10 range if he didn’t tear his ACL in the national title game, which means he might not be ready for training camp. Still, I don’t think he’s going to fall too far, because he’s a true No. 1 wideout when he’s healthy. This is good value for New England,” writes Kiper.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the 2022 NFL draft trends and share updates on how former Alabama players are affected.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Former Alabama OT Evan Neal lands impressive NFL player-comparison

His size paired with his athleticism are a rare find at the OT position.

Former Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal recently declared for the 2022 NFL draft, which came as a surprise to absolutely no one. Neals has been projected to be a first-round pick since before the 2021 college football season, and his projection has only gone up.

Now that the college season is over and the draft is just a few months away, analysts and experts are honing on on mock drafts, projections and reports.

Neal stands at 6-foot-7, 350 pounds. Pair his size with his skills and Neal could very well deserve to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle states that Neal is worthy of being compared to Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Wirfs was drafted No. 13 overall in 2020 by the Buccaneers and has been an absolute difference-maker for Tampa Bay and Tom Brady.

He was named to a Pro Bowl, was named an All-Pro and won a Super Bowl.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Evan Neal throughout the pre-draft process.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

DRAFT STOCK WATCH: Alabama OT Evan Neal is a lock for top-10 overall

Evan Neal is a lock for top-10, but some have him inside the top-3!

Alabama Football has players drafted every year, especially in the first round. What makes the Crimson Tide stand above the rest is that all positions are drafted early. Whether it be quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive backs or linemen, they are all options to be selected in the first round.

In this ‘Draft Stock Watch,’ Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal isn’t on the rise, since he’s been projected early first round for quite some time, but it is time to stamp the label of “lock” on him being top-10 overall.

In mock drafts from various publications and outlets, Neal is not just top-10, but in most cases top-five and sometimes in the top-three.

According to ‘NFLMockDraft Database,’ which collects data from all mock draft published by major outlets, Neal currently sits as the consensus No. 3 overall pick.

Here’s where he lands in recent mock drafts:

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow along with trends for the 2022 NFL Draft and how it will impact Alabama’s draft-eligible players.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

Chiefs hosted OT Bryan Witzmann for a visit

A former starter for the Chiefs was in for a visit on Sunday.

A familiar face visited the Kansas City Chiefs over the weekend.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, veteran OT Bryan Witzmann was in Kansas City for a visit on Sunday. The team was in Denver to face the Broncos that day, but someone in the personnel department stayed behind to host Witzmann for a visit.

Witzmann, 30, entered the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He spent the 2016-2017 seasons with the Chiefs, appearing in 27 regular-season games and starting in 13 games at left guard during the 2017 season. Witzman made the initial 53-man roster in Kansas City ahead of the 2018 season but was promptly released to make room for Austin Reiter. He’s since spent time with the Chicago Bears, starting seven games at right guard. Most recently, Witzmann played for the Carolina Panthers in 2019.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound lineman offers positional versatility with the ability to fill in at guard or kick out and play tackle. Most of his snaps have come at the guard position, especially during his time with the Chiefs. He’d be a good addition because he has an understanding of the offense. They’ve likely installed some new things since he was last on the roster, but he’ll at least know the verbiage of Andy Reid’s complex offensive scheme.

If the team chooses to sign Witzmann he’d likely fill a spot on the practice squad. The team has some injuries along the offensive line and his versatility could prove valuable during the second half of the season.

[vertical-gallery id=79520]

Chiefs to host former Bills OT Brandon Walton for visit

The Chiefs are taking a look at an intriguing offensive tackle who was with the Bills this offseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to bring players in for visits, likely with the goal of reinforcing their practice squad depth. Earlier in the week, they had OL Danny Isidora, WR Juwann Winfree and P Tyler Newsome in for visits. They even ended up adding Isidora to the practice squad. Now, they’ll host former Bills OT Brandon Walton on a visit.

If you look at the Chiefs’ 16-man practice squad right now, you’ll notice that that one thing missing is offensive tackle depth. Walton signed with Buffalo following the 2020 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic. He didn’t make the final 53-man roster for the Bills but was added to the initial practice squad. He was released from the practice squad in order to make room for former Packers WR Jake Kumerow.

The 6-4 and 311-pound tackle has been busy since his release, working out for the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Sept. 10. Walton is a toolsy prospect who played in a lot of games for the Owls, appearing in 44 contests over the course of four seasons. He has experience playing both the right tackle and left tackle spots. He also has some really good tape against top-flight competition like No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Young.

Walton would be a solid developmental OT prospect to keep on the practice squad for the 2020 NFL season and perhaps beyond for Kansas City. We’ll see in the coming days if any movement comes from his visit with the team. It’s worth noting that there are four receivers on the Chiefs’ practice squad. That’d probably be the position that sees someone released if they were to make a transaction.

[vertical-gallery id=76658]

WATCH: Highlights of new Chiefs OL Lucas Niang

Get familiar with the newest offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs have selected TCU OT Lucas Niang at pick No. 96 in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This was an absolute value pick for the Chiefs. Had Niang not been injured during a portion of his final season, it’s entirely possible that he would have been viewed as a first or second-round pick. In fact, Niang didn’t allow a single sack in any of his 27 starts for TCU. No. 2 overall draft pick Chase Young claims that Niang is the best offensive tackle that he’s faced in college. We have that tape for you down below, Niang will be playing the right tackle position wearing No. 77.

Below you’ll find highlights of the Chiefs’ newest player from some of his most impressive performances in college football:

NFL Prospect Isaiah Wilson Says His Meals Are 3 Times Size Of “Normal Person’s”

Former Georgia Bulldog and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Isaiah Wilson shares what a typical meal looks for an offensive tackle, along with what he’d be doing if he wasn’t playing football.

Former Georgia Bulldog and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Isaiah Wilson shares what a typical meal looks for an offensive tackle, along with what he’d be doing if he wasn’t playing football.